The new and distinct short-day strawberry cultivar of the present invention was the product of a controlled breeding program that was carried out at Nova Siri (MT) Italy located at 40° 08′ 40″ N.-16° 39′ 40″ E. and 10 meters above sea level. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) was the ‘Siris’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States and EU No. 34843) and the male parent (i.e., pollen parent) was the ‘Pajaro’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States). The parentage of the new cultivar can be summarized as follows:‘Siris’×‘Pajaro’.
The seeds resulting from the pollination were sown and small plants were obtained which were physically different from each other. Selective study and testing resulted in the identification of a single plant of the new cultivar.
The new cultivar initially was designated AD.09.06.
It was found that the new short-day strawberry cultivar of the present invention displays the following combination of characteristics:                (a) exhibits a dense, upright generally globose growth habit,        (b) displays on an early basis white inflorescence at approximately the same level as the foliage,        (c) commonly displays a calyx that is generally smaller than the corolla when open, and        (d) forms in abundance early-ripening substantially uniform large bright red conical fruit having a firm flesh.        
The new cultivar of the present invention can be readily distinguished from previously known strawberry cultivars including the ‘Sabrosa’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,558) as indicated in detail hereafter.
The new cultivar possesses characteristics that commonly are sought by commercial strawberry growers. Substantially uniform firm bright red early-ripening fruit is provided in good yields. Accordingly, the new cultivar is considered to be a promising new plant introduction.
The new cultivar has been asexually reproduced by the use of stolons at Ochla, Poland located at 51° 848 N.-15° 447 E. and by in vitro tissue culture. No rooting problems were encountered. The combination of characteristics exhibited by the new plant has been found to be stable and is reliably transmitted to succeeding generations following such asexual reproduction. Accordingly, the new cultivar reproduces true-to-type manner by such asexual reproduction.
The new plant has been named ‘Margherita’.